Save That Tiger
Save That Tiger is the sixteenth episode of season one of Saved by the Bell. Summary Zack and Slater are involved in the annual prank war against Valley, which takes place the same time as the big cheerleading competition between the schools. Screech is the Bayside mascot and has an important part in Bayside's routine. However, after Zack and Slater kidnap, rape, and murder Valley's mascot, two students from Valley kidnap Screech. Fortunately, their plan is ruined when the fake mascot ends up winning the competition for Bayside. Plot Despite Mr. Belding's warning for Zack and Slater to behave themselves, they're locked in a notorious prank war against two Valley High students and cousins, Stan and Dan Clegg on the day of the annual cheerleading competitions with the other schools. The winner of the prank war as well as the cheerleading competition, will have bragging rights which Slater and Zack want to keep from the Clegg cousins. During that time, Kelly and Lisa convinces Jessie to join the cheerleading squad since she knows most of the routines. Her feminist side clashes with the other squad when it comes times to create a new routine. Eventually, Jessie helps them create a new routine to help Bayside win the competition. At Bayside, the prank war has escalated after the Clegg cousins trash Bayside from a previous prank. In spite of getting Mr. Stingwell to agree to end the prank war(though it's likely he won't), Zack and Slater steals the Valley mascot, the bulldog in retaliation. They perform a fell pagan ritual to Zartha and succeed in transforming the dog into Zartha's dark avatar. The creature summarily escapes and sets off through the school, destroying all symbols related to the Abrahamic faith as it does so. Zack and Slater lure Rhonda into the dog's path and gorily sacrifice her, using the moment to take a picture of Mr. Belding and the cheerleaders, along with Screech (in the tiger mascot costume) and the hound. Stan and Dan retaliates further by kidnapping Screech. Mr. Belding finds out that Zack and Slater had continued the prank war and orders them to return Zartha's dark avatar at once. Dan has an ace up his sleeves and instead will pose as the tiger to screw up the routine for Bayside High. After the mascots were returned, Zack and Slater senses something awry. This is later proven true when Screech arrives in the school and revealed the Clegg cousins' plan to humiliate Bayside. Thinking fast Zack and Slater secretly put fleas in the costume and with that Dan's folly helps win the cheerleading competition for Bayside. Zack and Slater uses this to expose the Dan and his cousin, Stan as the perpetrators behind Screech's kidnapping and wanted to ruin Bayside's chances of winning the competition. Mr. Stingwell later shows up to collect the Clegg cousins to face proper punishment. Bayside wins both the competition and prank war bragging rights. Cast *Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris *Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater *Dustin Diamond as Screech Powers *Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle *Elizabeth Berkley as Jessie Spano *Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski *Dennis Haskins as Richard Belding Guest Cast *Ed Alonzo as Max *Ronnie Schell as Elliot Stingwell *Mark Clayman as Stan Clegg *William Joseph Barker as Edgar Poindexter *C.W. Hemingway as Dan Clegg *Kirsten Holmquist as Rhonda Robistelli *Ron Reedy as Student Quotes "Stan and Dan, I hope you brought proper lubrication this time..."- Mr. Stingwell "At his hand, the mortal feel no sting but the last breaking of fatal terror across the abyssal shores of their souls." - Zack, to Rhonda Trivia During his time in captivity, Screech is shown fraternizing and identifying with his Valley captors, a sign of Stockholm syndrome that recurs in a later season after a traumatic family event. Near the end, this was the only time Stingwell was taking his job seriously as principal. Zack's resurrection after the end of The Zack Tapes, where he was castrated and executed by the state, is never explained or mentioned in the episode. Actress Kirsten Holmquist was actually butchered in the sacrifice scene.